Consequences
by TribalVipe
Summary: Rafael blows up in court and Liv makes sure he doesn't do it again. How? Lucia freakin' Barba.


A/N: I feel like poop but I was able to punch out this one-shot rather quickly. I don't own svu or the characters and I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Rafael shuddered as he heard the distant cursing of his mother's voice drifting along the walls of the holding cell he was in.

He sat back against the bars, arms crossed over his chest, a frown on his face and helluva a lot of trouble about to be unleashed on him as soon as he was set free. The D.A. had already spoken to him, and he hadn't lost his job, but he was being suspended, yet again, with a hefty fine that was going to dent his next paycheck.

Also, the humiliation of being found in contempt and handcuffed in front of a court room full of people, not to mention his girlfriend and her detectives, was weighing on his shoulders as well, but he suspected it wouldn't hit him until he was at home, on Liv's couch and realizing just how stupid he was when he was angry.

Liv stood across from him, near the officer's desk, typing away on her phone and refusing to talk to him. She was pissed and rightfully so, but luckily, the case was already won with the amount of evidence they had against this guy, who was the reason he was down here in the first place.

"Liv," he sighed, "Did you really have to call her to post bail?"

She glanced up over her glasses, a small smirk on her face as Lucia's heels grew closer, clicking rapidly on the tiled floor. A look of pity flashed across her face when she saw him tense up, but that was quickly replaced when she remembered the reason he was down there.

No doubt, he was embarrassed and angry with himself, and so was she, but she didn't want to admit how proud she was of him as well. Not that he exploded and got himself suspended for a full two weeks again, but that he had come so far when it came to their victims.

He wasn't all that into helping them when he first started, but through time and changing lives and situations, he'd grown to become an advocate, much like herself (albeit more closed off) and that really came through today, before he had cuffs slapped on his wrists.

Plus, it was a little hot and she really, _really_ , didn't want him knowing that until she got him alone in her bedroom later tonight.

"That's what you get," she said coldly, with a small smirk when he rolled his eyes and groaned. Two seconds later, Lucia blew in like a storm, mad as hell and hair wind whipped.

"Of all the stupid shit you've ever done in your life!" Liv winced as Lucia all but yelled and pocketed her phone. Rafael sighed and stood, coming to stand in front of the bars and he grabbed them in his hands, white knuckle grip on the metal. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"I get a call from your lovely girlfriend-by the way, how are you dear? Did you finally get rid of that little cold from last week?"

Liv accepted the small hug Lucia gave her, letting the woman fix a stray strand of hair that had fallen against her cheek.

"Took me a bit, but now Noah has it."

"Oh, my baby," Lucia pouted, hands over her heart. Her sad expression turned violent again when she remembered, just a second later, why she was here to begin with. She rounded on Rafael again, hands on hips and looking every bit like the mother he remembered from his childhood.

"Mamí, I got a little angry. I'll pay the bail and everything will be fine- "

"Fine, _mi culo_! You know the news is going to report this and then I'm going to have to explain to all my friends what happened when they ask me at brunch next Sunday? Not to mention your Tía Maria is going to be blowing my phone up. I'm surprised she hasn't already found out with how damn nosy she is, always knowing everyone's business!"

Rafael banged his head against the bars pathetically, staring at his silently laughing girlfriend behind his ranting mother, who was searching around in her purse for her phone, just to make sure no one had found out yet, despite it happening just an hour ago.

They stood there for a good twenty minutes, until Lucia had calmed down enough Liv called for a guard to open the cell and let him free. They both listened to Lucia rant and rave until they reached his office so he could grab some stuff and give detailed instructions to Carmen, who heard of the incident but didn't bother asking if everything was alright. Seeing Lucia, foot tapping on the floor and giving him the evil eye was explanation enough.

Finally, after a good forty minutes, he led his mother out onto the court house steps, accepting her help with carrying a few of the case files he was allowed to work on during his suspension from home. He wished Liv would have been able to stay and take some of the heat off his back but she took a call and besides, she had enjoyed watching him get yelled at way too much.

"Rafi, I don't like to see you lose your temper like that…," she sighed, coming to a stop as they waited for the Uber he called. He hung his head, knowing full well what she was saying and he didn't ever want her to have to think about painful memories. He would rather her scream at him for hours than her ever think of comparing him and his father's tempers.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just…lost my head. I'm usually really good about controlling my temper around these people, but something just snapped."

"I know," she smiled, patting his cheek, "You're better at than I am, _mi hijo_."

"Tell me something I don't know."

She slapped him hard enough it would leave a bruise on his arm later.

* * *

"You still mad at me?"

Liv couldn't hide the smirk on her face as she slipped of her shoes by the front door, stomach growling at the smell of dinner that had been cooked well over two hours ago, waiting to be warmed up in the microwave. She eyed her boyfriend, laid out on couch with his feet kicked up, a beer (rare for him) in his hand and the remote in the other.

He was taking a break from his extensive note taking, if the mess on the coffee table was any indication, by watching some reruns of The West Wing, still in his attire from work. He looked relaxed, and she was glad, but he still really wasn't off the hook. He didn't need to know that though.

She didn't say anything and simply walked past him and into the kitchen. She could hear him get up and follow her as she went about searching for a bottle of water and the plate of food she knew was waiting for her. She set the microwave for a few minutes and stood there, refusing to face him until he came to a stop right behind her.

"You're torturing me."

"Only a little," she commented, rolling her head. His hands slipped up on her neck and began to work at the kink that was always present after a long, hard day at work. She moaned in appreciation before she turned around to face him.

"Don't you think my mother yelling non-stop is punishment enough?" He rubbed at his eyes, arms crossed over his chest. Liv suppressed a laugh and nodded, waving him closer to her. Her eyes traveled over his muscular forearms, appreciating the masculine physique of him general. As soon as he got close enough, she reached out and ran her hand from his shoulder to his chest, tracing the silk tie before she slipped her fingers around it.

"I was mad at you," she said, playing with the end of his tie, "But now…"

It was his turn to smirk, seeing that familiar look on her face as she stroked the material, "Now, what?"

Liv shrugged one shoulder, gripping his tie and pulling him closer. He followed, but placed two hands on the counter top to keep himself from pressing against her, like she wanted him to. He glanced at her lips and licked his own, wanting to taste them but resisting. She may not have been mad at him anymore, but he wasn't so sure he was in a forgiving mood himself after she employed his mother to make him miserable.

"I don't know. Is it bad if I found it a little sexy watching you get all angry up there?"

She leaned forward to kiss him but he moved back a little, teasing her with that devilishly handsome half-smile he knew drove her crazy. Her hands tightened around his tie playfully, knowing what he was doing.

"Sexy, huh? How sexy?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Ah, now, now Lieutenant," he chuckled, trapping her between the counter with his hands and his body, "You can't just say that and not give me any examples."

Liv chuckled and turned around, feeling him nuzzle her neck while she pulled her plate of food out of the microwave. It was warm and smelled so delicious, but so did his cologne that was distracting the hunger in her stomach. She groaned when his hands slipped up her shirt, pulling the fabric up the farther they traveled.

"If I tell you how sexy I thought it was will you leave me alone long enough to eat? After that, you can bang me on the kitchen table, how about that?"

He smirked against her neck, "Deal."

Liv turned back around, the shirt twisting around her body, "You know how I always chew on my thumbnail when I see you building a sheet fort with Noah, or reading him a bed time story and you use different voices for all the characters? Or even when you help him brush his teeth and comb his hair before bed?

"Yeah."

"Sexier than that."

She slipped out from his grasp and grabbed her food, pulling her shirt down in the process. He looked at her, confused. "You find that stuff sexy?"

"Incredibly."

Liv was about to spoon up some rice into her mouth when her chair was pulled back and Rafael roughly kissed her. She groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands slipped into her hair. This man was too damn irresistible sometimes…

Fortunately, for her, Noah chose that moment to make an appearance from his sleep, rubbing his eyes and sounding just as sick as he had that morning.

"Rafa," Noah whimpered from the hallway, his voice nasal and clutching his favorite stuffed animal, "I don't feel good. Can you lay down with me?"

Liv bit her lip at the taken aback expression on his face. He stood up and put space between them, shifting uncomfortably and pulling his shirt down over the front of his pants. He looked like a deer in headlights having been caught by her son, who wanted to cuddle with him.

"Please, Rafa? Please…," Noah sniffled, his bottom lip sticking out and Rafael couldn't help but feel the need to scoop him up in his arms and make him feel better. But, of course, that meant not being able to ravish the hell out of her. She looked so tempting, with her hair a mess, her shirt skewed and her lips red…

He looked down when he realized Noah had been tugging on his pant leg, looking at him with red-rimmed eyes and Rafael sighed, already knowing he was going to be spending the night, crammed in the little boy's bed.

"That's what you get for teasing me AND getting held in contempt and suspended."

Rafael hung his head and picked up Noah, resigned to his fate for the night, leaving Liv to finally dig into her food, a triumphant smile on her face.


End file.
